9 Tips to Effectively Manage Remote Employees

If you too are one of the many companies relying on remote workers, knowing how to manage them is crucial for the success of your business. Luckily for you, we are here to give you some effective tips for making the most of your workforce. Take a look.

1. Make sure it’s the right fit for your company

Before you actually decide to go down this path, you need to determine whether this is the right fit for the work that your company does. Some tasks, such as product development and assembly, cannot be done remotely. On the other hand, customer support, accounting, sales, copywriting and graphic design are some of the jobs that are well suited for remote work. Most of them only require a computer, phone and internet access.

2. Make sure the employees are the right people for this job

Working from home is not for everyone. It requires discipline and the ability to get work done without having a supervisor present. That is why you need to ensure you hire the right people. If you are hiring new people, their previous experience and references can be quite important. On the other hand, you should be able to tell which of your current employees can work remotely. You have to make it clear that, just because they are working from home, it does not mean they can slack off or sleep in, and that they have to honor deadlines.

3. Create a company culture

You might be of the opinion that establishing a company culture is quite hard when your employees are not in the same place, but that is exactly why this is crucial. Having clear values and a certain way of doing business is something that will set you apart from the competition. That is why every employee, no matter their workplace, should have the same approach to dealing with their tasks and the customers. Furthermore, company culture creates a sense of loyalty among your employees, even those freelancers that you don’t get to meet often or ever.

4. Provide your workforce with the right tools

In order to get any work done, you must have the right equipment. That is why you should invest in collaboration tools. Depending on the work your company does, your workers will have different needs. For example, they have to be able to access the files needed for their job. Using software that will let everyone on the project access it is the best course of action seeing as how it’s often possible to misplace an email or forget to forward it to someone. Also, the employees need to be in the loop when it comes to various updates, news, and deadlines. When you find the right type of platform for your business, make sure everyone is properly trained and knows how to use it.

5. Make communication easy

Continuing from the previous point – communication has to be clear. When you are not sure whether someone is aware of the deadline, ask them. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of question as that will get the job done. There are various apps you can use for communication, such as Skype or Slack, so make the most of them. Moreover, if you feel like some face time is missing, you can call the remove workers in for a chat to hear their opinions about the job. If that is not possible, set up online calls to stay in touch. Being in contact with your employees can have a great impact on the productivity levels of your company.

6. Track the performance of remote workers

While you should not micromanage their every move, you can still track the performance of your remote workers. Implementing staff tracking software into your operations can help you improve your values and identify your weaknesses. By having an overview of your employees’ progress, you will be able to instruct them on the areas where they could do better. Using this kind of software can also help you determine which workers are slacking and which are engaged and contributing.

7. Stay organized

Once you start using platforms for file sharing, communication, and performance tracking, you should keep everything well-organized. Delete everything that is outdated. Old files and documents should not be taking up space and creating clutter. Furthermore, divide your workers into teams according to projects or whatever else makes sense for your business. Make sure no one is overlooked during a group email. Additionally, if the platform you use has a handy search function, that can make things much easier for everyone.

8. Evaluate them according to performance

One of the advantages of remote work is that the employees get to work when it suits them. That means that they will probably choose the time when they feel the most productive. For this reason, you should not track their presence, but their performance. If they are getting the job done in a satisfactory manner, it shouldn’t matter how many hours a day they work. Providing them with flexibility, especially if they are in a different time zone, is the best thing you can do.

9. Treat your employees with respect

You should not take your remote workers for granted. If they do their job well, you should pay them fairly and show them respect. Make sure to give them positive feedback as it can make them feel better and loyal to your company. In addition, informing them on time regarding any upcoming changes is desirable.

As you can see, managing remote employees might be a bit more difficult than dealing with your in-office ones, but it is not that difficult if you stay organized, find the right people and treat them with respect. Implement the right tools and you will have everything under control.